WORLD
RABBIT SCIENCE ASSOCIATION

WRSA Factsheet: Prepared by James I. McNitt,
AB-WRSA
, and published in the journal of the Professional
Rabbit Meat Association (May-June 2000, volume 1, number 3). For
the Spanish version of this WRSA Factsheet click here.

The World
Rabbit Science Association(updated link) is an organization of
rabbit scientists from around the world. The objectives of the WRSA as stated in
the constitution are as follows:

"To facilitate in all possible ways the exchange of knowledge and
experience among persons in all parts of the world who are contributing to the
advancement of the various branches of the rabbit industry by producing,
breeding, marketing techniques, teaching, research, investigation, experiments,
demonstration.

"To promote the extension of knowledge in the above field by the
encouragement of teaching, scientific research, practical experimentation, the
collection and publication of statistics, the study of the economics of the
rabbit business, the study of the problems of production and marketing, and in
every other way possible.

"The dissemination of knowledge pertaining to all branches of the rabbit
industry.

"The promotion of
World Rabbit Congress
es, inviting the cooperation of governments of countries and national
organizations selected for these gatherings in their organizations.

"To cooperate with the F.A.O.and national and international scientific, economic or agricultural
organizations in the development of many kinds of rabbit productions i.e. meat,
wool, fur or laboratory rabbits."

WRSA hosts an international congress every four years. In 1992, the congress
was in
Corvallis
,
Oregon
, in 1996 in
Toulouse
,
France
, in July 2000 in
Valencia
,
Spain
, and in 2004 in
Puebla
,
Mexico
. There are usually about 500 attendees from all over the world at these
congresses. Presentations are made of scientific research that has been carried
out in the various countries. The results of this research are also published in
a "proceedings".

In addition to the congresses, the WRSA also sponsors publication of the
quarterly scientific journal World
Rabbit Science. Again, the manuscripts included in the journal are
from scientists reporting the results of their research on rabbits.

The WRSA has a board of directors and officers including a President, Vice
Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer. Most of the operations are, however,
carried out by national branches. Some of these branches are very large and
carry out a number of activities while others are relatively small.

In the
US
, we are represented by the American Branch of the World Rabbit Science
Association (
AB-WRSA
) which includes members from North, Central and
South America
and the
Caribbean
. There are about 40 active members with a Board of Directors including the
President (Dr. Ana Moura), Vice President (Gabriela Gonzalez-Mariscal) and Secretary/Treasurer (Dr. James McNitt). Members have the opportunity for
a reduced subscription rate for World Rabbit Science and have access to a
listserv that provides information about activities of our membership as well as
upcoming events, special news items, and summaries of meetings and conventions.
Members who are not on-line receive this information by mail. The
AB-WRSA
also sponsors regional conferences. The last was held in
Cuba
in 2002.
AB-WRSA
provides rabbit information and professional assistance to other organizations
including the American Society of Animal Science, the American Registry of
Professional Animal Scientists, the American Rabbit Breeders Association and the
Professional Meat Rabbit Association.

One of the ways we will work with the PRMA will be to provide news items to
the editor of the PRMA Journal so the PRMA membership can keep abreast of the
activities of the
AB-WRSA
.